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Figures in Silk
The plot of my latest novel brings together the silk business of fifteenth-century London and the personality of King Richard III, suspected throughout history of having murdered his two nephews, the Princes in the Tower. My story begins with silk merchant John Lambert’s decision to marry off his two beautiful daughters at the end of the Wars of the Roses. Elder daughter Jane starts a notorious liaison with King Edward IV – Richard’s older brother - while her sister, Isabel, as the new silkworker to the court, becomes privy to its most intimate secrets. Could the sisters hold the keys to power at this time of uncertainty?
455 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
58 people are currently reading
1838 people want to read
About the author
Vanora Bennett
12 books215 followersI became a journalist almost by accident. Having learned Russian and been hired after university by Reuters (to my own surprise and the slight dismay of traditionally-minded editors who weren’t sure a Guardian-reading blonde female would be tough enough for the job), I was then catapulted into the adrenaline-charged realm of conflict reporting. While on a trainee assignment in Paris, I fell in with the Cambodian émigré community and ended up reporting in Cambodia myself, a decade after the Khmer Rouge regime ended, as well as covering Cambodian peace talks in places as far apart as Indonesia and Paris. That led to a conflict reporting job in Africa, commuting between Angola and Mozambique and writing about death, destruction, diamonds and disease, and later to a posting in a country that stopped being the Soviet Union three months after I arrived. I spent much of the early 1990s in smoky taxis in the Caucasus mountains, covering a series of small post-Soviet conflicts that built up to the war in Chechnya.
My fascination with the cultural and religious differences between Russians and the many peoples once ruled by Moscow grew into a book on the Chechen war (Crying Wolf: The Return of War to Chechnya). A second, more light-hearted book followed, about post-Soviet Russia’s illegal caviar trade, once I’d got homesick for London and moved back to writer leaders on foreign affairs for The Times. This book was The Taste of Dreams: An Obsession with Russia and Caviar.
I now lead a more sedate life in North London with my husband and two small sons, enjoying the reading, research, writing and metropolitan leisure activities that I grew up expecting adult life to involve. I’ve found that writing books is much of a surprise, a pleasure and an adventure of the mind as it was to become a foreign correspondent.
As a journalist I’ve written for, among others, The Times and its website, TimesOnline, the Los Angeles Times, Prospect, The Times Literary Supplement, the Guardian Saturday magazine, the Daily Mail, the Evening Standard, Eve magazine, The Observer Food Monthlyand The Erotic Review.
My fascination with the cultural and religious differences between Russians and the many peoples once ruled by Moscow grew into a book on the Chechen war (Crying Wolf: The Return of War to Chechnya). A second, more light-hearted book followed, about post-Soviet Russia’s illegal caviar trade, once I’d got homesick for London and moved back to writer leaders on foreign affairs for The Times. This book was The Taste of Dreams: An Obsession with Russia and Caviar.
I now lead a more sedate life in North London with my husband and two small sons, enjoying the reading, research, writing and metropolitan leisure activities that I grew up expecting adult life to involve. I’ve found that writing books is much of a surprise, a pleasure and an adventure of the mind as it was to become a foreign correspondent.
As a journalist I’ve written for, among others, The Times and its website, TimesOnline, the Los Angeles Times, Prospect, The Times Literary Supplement, the Guardian Saturday magazine, the Daily Mail, the Evening Standard, Eve magazine, The Observer Food Monthlyand The Erotic Review.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 286 reviews
August 3, 2011
This was the third book I read in close sucession of the War of the Roses time period in medieval England. The other two were The White Queen by Philippa Gregory and The King's Grace by Ann Easter Smith (see previous review). Reading all three provided an interesting perspective on Edward V, Richard III, Queen Elizabeth Woodward and the future Queen Elizabeth, mother of Henry the VIII. Each book presented the main characters as villians or heros while sticking to the historical facts surrounding the War of the Roses. My favorite by far was Figures in Silk because although these historical characters were front and center, the book focused on the merchants of London--especially the female silk workers, who often were declared freewomen in their own rights and were allowed to make deals, take out loans, and hire their own workers. Loosely based on real characters, the plot focused on a scheme to bring silk weaving to London, as well as the craft of silk embroidery. It brought 15th-century London alive in a way that a novel focusing soley on the nobility cannot and showcased the strength that these women had to petition for their livelihoods and work to better their lives. A good read if you are interested in learning more about this time period, or in the lives and trials of women trying to make their way in the world. With characters such as the formidable Queen Elizabeth, her cowed but crafty daughter, one of the King's mistresses and silk women ranging from apprentices, to rich merchants, you get an in depth look at how the mideival world viewed women and how they survived in a male-dominated society. The best part, however, is the discussion of the silk. You will fall in love with it, just as the main characters do.
June 20, 2018
Set in the second half of the 15th century London, during the time when Edward IV is restored to the throne and later his brother Richard III takes the reign.
This story brings to light the world of silkwomen of the 15th century London and their partnership with mercers to do business together. Inevitably, training in the same households and marrying.
Isabel, a daughter of silk merchant, gets married to Thomas Claver, a son of wealthy silk family/dynasty. In Isabel’s father’s eyes embroidery of church vestments is the only appropriate thing to do for women her station. Once she marries Thomas, her role changes. She gets to learn the business of silk. She starts from the very bottom, learning “repetitive, menial tasks of retail silkwork first.” Next she accompanies Alice, Thomas’ mother, “to meetings with foreign silk merchants and aristocratic clients.” Then, she travels with Alice “to the trade fairs at Bruges and Antwerp,” where she learns “how to make the large-scale wholesale deals considered the pinnacle of achievement for a silk merchant.” With time her experience expends as well as her dream. She dreams about the secretive silk-weaving business for which Venetians are famous for.
The first part of the book seems to be more concentrated on the story of Alice and her ambitions. The second part brings more history of the ending conflict of the Wars of the Roses. Isabel is a fictional character, but her sister Jane is based on a true character of Jane Shore, mistress to King Edward IV. The house of Alice Claver, Thoma’s mother, is heavily based on “wills and bills of sale and other documentary evidence in the archive of the Merchers’ Company.”
This beautiful story sheds light on two things, the secretive world of the silkweaving and the character of a strong woman who goes below her status to gain her freedom in the world dominated and controlled by men. And the only way to gain that freedom was once woman became widow, she had her choice.
This is a story for those who have appreciation for arts, especially handcrafts. If you liked The Lady and the Unicorn or Girl with a Pearl Earring both by Tracy Chevalier, then you most likely will appreciate this book.
@FB/BestHistoricalFiction
https://bestinhistoricalfiction.blogs...
This story brings to light the world of silkwomen of the 15th century London and their partnership with mercers to do business together. Inevitably, training in the same households and marrying.
Isabel, a daughter of silk merchant, gets married to Thomas Claver, a son of wealthy silk family/dynasty. In Isabel’s father’s eyes embroidery of church vestments is the only appropriate thing to do for women her station. Once she marries Thomas, her role changes. She gets to learn the business of silk. She starts from the very bottom, learning “repetitive, menial tasks of retail silkwork first.” Next she accompanies Alice, Thomas’ mother, “to meetings with foreign silk merchants and aristocratic clients.” Then, she travels with Alice “to the trade fairs at Bruges and Antwerp,” where she learns “how to make the large-scale wholesale deals considered the pinnacle of achievement for a silk merchant.” With time her experience expends as well as her dream. She dreams about the secretive silk-weaving business for which Venetians are famous for.
The first part of the book seems to be more concentrated on the story of Alice and her ambitions. The second part brings more history of the ending conflict of the Wars of the Roses. Isabel is a fictional character, but her sister Jane is based on a true character of Jane Shore, mistress to King Edward IV. The house of Alice Claver, Thoma’s mother, is heavily based on “wills and bills of sale and other documentary evidence in the archive of the Merchers’ Company.”
This beautiful story sheds light on two things, the secretive world of the silkweaving and the character of a strong woman who goes below her status to gain her freedom in the world dominated and controlled by men. And the only way to gain that freedom was once woman became widow, she had her choice.
This is a story for those who have appreciation for arts, especially handcrafts. If you liked The Lady and the Unicorn or Girl with a Pearl Earring both by Tracy Chevalier, then you most likely will appreciate this book.
@FB/BestHistoricalFiction
https://bestinhistoricalfiction.blogs...
March 3, 2009
Get thee to an editor!! Seriously. While I understand the copy I have is an ARC and thus an uncorrected proof what I read in this book goes way beyond the pale. Twice I found a duplicated sentence, one right after the other. Run-on sentences with way too many commas, colons and semi-colons, along with short disjointed sentences that went nowhere - picture Snoopy writing his classic "it was a dark and stormy night". Frankly I felt I was always on the outside looking in and that's the last place I want to be when reading a book.
Jane and Isabel are daughters of a wealthy London merchant who has arranged for both their marriages. Jane to Will Shore where she subsequently becomes the infamous Jane Shore, mistress to Edward IV, and Isabel to the lazy son of silk merchant Alice Claver. Isabel's husband dies shortly after the marriage leaving a mountain of debt and not wanting to return to her father's household and another marriage she signs on as apprentice to her mother-in-law and begins to learn the silk trade. Isabel's path eventually crosses again with a dark man she met on her wedding day and finds the attraction is still there - although there is much more to this man than she realizes (I won't be a spoiler but that twist is as plain as the nose on your face). As Isabel's fortunes grow, she and her mother-in-law plan to bring the secrets of Italian silk weaving to London and corner their own market, and her skills at embroidery bring her into contact with the Princess Elizabeth, and a most implausible friendship is born. There is actually a scene where Elizabeth makes a monkey face in Isabel's presence in disrespect to her mother. Perhaps well bred young princesses might have done that behind their mother's back, but with their dressmakers?
While the main characters aren't quite as black and white in their goodness and/or badness as some recent authors have chosen to write this period - they don't exactly come across as terribly interesting either. Jane Shore, who has such a fascinating history of her own, was vapid and quite dull - when she was in the story at all - as a matter of fact Edward IV came across that way as well. Isabel was over the top in her 21C female independence (except when it came to Dickon, then she was dumber than a bucket of rocks). Of course the Woodvilles were all evil and wicked, but we didn't even get the pleasure of being shown how bad they were, we were just told that they were bad and everyone hated them. I'm not even touching what she did with Richard III, but I think the author read up a bit on Shakespeare before writing the book.
As for the historical setting, I'm not that well read on this period but things just didn't ring true. Calling the King and Queen "Your Majesty" (I believe that started with the Tudors), Richard traveling alone with no attendants whatsoever (where was Francis Lovell, let alone a squire or two?) to name two. And ROFL for the "coronation meetings" they were all having. As for the silk trade and how well it's portrayed? Again I haven't a clue but since the author didn't provide any notes to back up her story lines, I'm taking that with a grain of salt as well.
If she'd just stuck with Isabel and Jane's stories and the silk trade in London, made the two sisters half way interesting and kept the Royal family and it's intrigues out of it she might have had something here. As it is now, I can only recommend it as a sedative to help you to sleep at night. If you're set on reading this, I strongly urge you to get it from the library first and then buy it if you love it. A very very generous two stars.
Jane and Isabel are daughters of a wealthy London merchant who has arranged for both their marriages. Jane to Will Shore where she subsequently becomes the infamous Jane Shore, mistress to Edward IV, and Isabel to the lazy son of silk merchant Alice Claver. Isabel's husband dies shortly after the marriage leaving a mountain of debt and not wanting to return to her father's household and another marriage she signs on as apprentice to her mother-in-law and begins to learn the silk trade. Isabel's path eventually crosses again with a dark man she met on her wedding day and finds the attraction is still there - although there is much more to this man than she realizes (I won't be a spoiler but that twist is as plain as the nose on your face). As Isabel's fortunes grow, she and her mother-in-law plan to bring the secrets of Italian silk weaving to London and corner their own market, and her skills at embroidery bring her into contact with the Princess Elizabeth, and a most implausible friendship is born. There is actually a scene where Elizabeth makes a monkey face in Isabel's presence in disrespect to her mother. Perhaps well bred young princesses might have done that behind their mother's back, but with their dressmakers?
While the main characters aren't quite as black and white in their goodness and/or badness as some recent authors have chosen to write this period - they don't exactly come across as terribly interesting either. Jane Shore, who has such a fascinating history of her own, was vapid and quite dull - when she was in the story at all - as a matter of fact Edward IV came across that way as well. Isabel was over the top in her 21C female independence (except when it came to Dickon, then she was dumber than a bucket of rocks). Of course the Woodvilles were all evil and wicked, but we didn't even get the pleasure of being shown how bad they were, we were just told that they were bad and everyone hated them. I'm not even touching what she did with Richard III, but I think the author read up a bit on Shakespeare before writing the book.
As for the historical setting, I'm not that well read on this period but things just didn't ring true. Calling the King and Queen "Your Majesty" (I believe that started with the Tudors), Richard traveling alone with no attendants whatsoever (where was Francis Lovell, let alone a squire or two?) to name two. And ROFL for the "coronation meetings" they were all having. As for the silk trade and how well it's portrayed? Again I haven't a clue but since the author didn't provide any notes to back up her story lines, I'm taking that with a grain of salt as well.
If she'd just stuck with Isabel and Jane's stories and the silk trade in London, made the two sisters half way interesting and kept the Royal family and it's intrigues out of it she might have had something here. As it is now, I can only recommend it as a sedative to help you to sleep at night. If you're set on reading this, I strongly urge you to get it from the library first and then buy it if you love it. A very very generous two stars.
November 28, 2018
Tam da okumak istediğim kurgu ve temaya sahip bir kitap idi.. 15.Yüzyılda geçen bu hikaye de o dönemde pek görülmeyen güçlü bir kadın karakteri vardı. Kadının söz hakkı yok kendi hayatı ile ilgili karar verme hakkı yoktu.
Ama İsabel ve Hane bu prangayı kendi üslupları ile yıktılar. İkisi de büyük maceralara sürüklediler kralların sevdiği oldular k yazarı okumakla keşke daha önce okusaymışım..
Ama İsabel ve Hane bu prangayı kendi üslupları ile yıktılar. İkisi de büyük maceralara sürüklediler kralların sevdiği oldular k yazarı okumakla keşke daha önce okusaymışım..
March 12, 2023
Recomand aceasta carte celor pasionati de fictiune istorica si nu numai. Razbunari, rasturnari de situatie, comploturi, dragoste, istorie, crime si alte marsavii, ambitie, speranta, toate se regasesc in acest frumos roman.
June 7, 2016
While I started reading Vanora Bennett's Figures in Silk because of the Ricardian aspect of the plot, I actually found that part of the narrative rather thin compared to the rich and detailed story of life in the London silk trade which is the primary focus of the novel. Bennett's protagonist Isabel Claver is a young widow who becomes an apprentice to her successful mother-in-law Alice Claver, one of the foremost silk merchants in London. She learns the trade well and, in partnership with Claver and an Italian silk merchant, embarks on a crown-supported endeavour to bring the secrets of the Italian silk weavers to England.
Isabel's access to the court - and to royal patronage and significant commissions - is due to two things. First, her sister is Jane Shore, the mistress of Edward IV. Second, an accidental meeting with an intense young man in a church where both have gone to seek consolation turns ultimately into a secret royal liaison when Isabel discovers that the young man is Richard of Gloucester.
I have to admit that I didn't really buy Bennett's characterisation of Richard III, or the love affair between him and Isabel. Even Richard's contemporary enemies acknowledged that he seemed not only much in love with his wife, Anne Neville, at least up to the point where he became King, but also unusually faithful to her. The infrequent and furtive meetings between the two give us no sense of who Richard is as a man, and thus we have no background for the things that Richard does once his brother is dead.
Bennett presents Richard as laving been loyal to Edward until his death, but then forming an almost immediate plan to seize the throne from his nephew. She does not, however, go so far as to make him the murderer of the young princes. Rather, she has them spirited out of London at his design by the knight Tyrell, and raised in secret.
Because Isabel learns of most of the major events of the coup through rumour and the accounts of others, the story of Richard and the princes has no strong dramatic impact - we are caught up more in her confusion and growing shame at having taken as a lover a man who she comes to see as capable of disloyalty and cruelty.
While the greater political matters of the time are given a less than satisfactory treatment, it is as an account of life among the merchant class of London, and of the spirit and determination of a young woman to succeed in her craft despite many personal and professional setbacks that Bennett finds her voice and makes the book worth reading.
Isabel's access to the court - and to royal patronage and significant commissions - is due to two things. First, her sister is Jane Shore, the mistress of Edward IV. Second, an accidental meeting with an intense young man in a church where both have gone to seek consolation turns ultimately into a secret royal liaison when Isabel discovers that the young man is Richard of Gloucester.
I have to admit that I didn't really buy Bennett's characterisation of Richard III, or the love affair between him and Isabel. Even Richard's contemporary enemies acknowledged that he seemed not only much in love with his wife, Anne Neville, at least up to the point where he became King, but also unusually faithful to her. The infrequent and furtive meetings between the two give us no sense of who Richard is as a man, and thus we have no background for the things that Richard does once his brother is dead.
Bennett presents Richard as laving been loyal to Edward until his death, but then forming an almost immediate plan to seize the throne from his nephew. She does not, however, go so far as to make him the murderer of the young princes. Rather, she has them spirited out of London at his design by the knight Tyrell, and raised in secret.
Because Isabel learns of most of the major events of the coup through rumour and the accounts of others, the story of Richard and the princes has no strong dramatic impact - we are caught up more in her confusion and growing shame at having taken as a lover a man who she comes to see as capable of disloyalty and cruelty.
While the greater political matters of the time are given a less than satisfactory treatment, it is as an account of life among the merchant class of London, and of the spirit and determination of a young woman to succeed in her craft despite many personal and professional setbacks that Bennett finds her voice and makes the book worth reading.
May 1, 2017
O perspectivă interesantă asupra ultimilor regi din Casa de York, Eduard al IV-lea și Richard al III-lea, din afara curții regale. Totuși povestea are ca fundal viața mătăsarilor din Londra secolului al XV-lea, iar dacă lumea mătăsii nu te interesează, atunci această carte nu e pentru tine. Dacă ești un cititor de romane de ficțiune istorică, atunci cartea merită să-i dai șansă.
Am scris mai multe pe blog https://dorinadanila.com/2017/05/01/r...
Am scris mai multe pe blog https://dorinadanila.com/2017/05/01/r...
December 4, 2008
I couldn't get into this book, unfortunately. I had a hard time empathizing with the characters that Bennett sets in 15th century England. The protagonist, Isabel, never really seems to seize the day and attempt to carve out her own destiny.
Often I say, "Not my favourite book, but if you have the time, give it a read." There's nothing about Figures in Silk to recommend itself as one of those books, however. Its historical scope is narrow: while set during the War of the Roses and involving several of the important players in that game, there are many more interesting books set during this time period. Even the details on the silk trade are lacklustre.
You could do much better than spend time reading Figures in Silk.
Often I say, "Not my favourite book, but if you have the time, give it a read." There's nothing about Figures in Silk to recommend itself as one of those books, however. Its historical scope is narrow: while set during the War of the Roses and involving several of the important players in that game, there are many more interesting books set during this time period. Even the details on the silk trade are lacklustre.
You could do much better than spend time reading Figures in Silk.
February 13, 2018
Yes, unfortunately 2 stars - it was OK. Lots of historical information both about the silk industry in London and the perils of living in England during the Wars of the Roses. I didn't really connect with the main character - she wasn't as fully developed as I would have liked and the ending was not convincing.
November 10, 2019
With so many novels now revolving around various players who also feature in this novel — Richard III, Edward IV, the Tudors — it is a relief to find that Vanora Bennett’s focus in her second novel is not on life at court itself but on how the political machinations affect and disrupt the lives of London’s ordinary citizens and particularly its powerful merchants.
February 11, 2022
This is the story of Isabel Lambert, fictional sister to the more famous Elizabeth Lambert, and here presented as another mistress to Richard III.
After a brief marriage Isabel is left widowed, so decides to become a femme-sole and start her own business. She meets Richard Duke of Gloucester and starts a relationship with him. The story progresses mainly about Isabel's life and activities in the silk industry, while historical facts are sparse and entwined with the main plot.
I would say that the book has three main themes: the silk industry, the love story between Richard and Isabel, and the great historical events of the period. I must say I was disappointed with all three.
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
The Silk industry theme: this is the main theme of the book, and it covers almost 3/4 of it. This is best researched and credible part of the book - at the best of my knowledge, since I know practically nothing about it. But I can say it's really thorough. The problem is that is boring to the bone, more a non fiction essay than a novel, and I didn't really care about the problems and the enterprises of the silk business, nor the people working in it. It's clear the author put a lot of efforts and researches in this part, and if she limited the book to it, making it a non fiction, it would have been more interesting. But like this it was only boring, so much that I actually skimmed through the pages in search of the historical events.
The Love Story: Isabel meets Richard Duke of Gloucester when she's 14 and he 18, before her arranged marriage, in a church. Without revealing his identity he invites her to a nearby tavern and they have a chat together. Needless to say she falls in love with him after the first casual touch of his hand, and here's the first nonsense. And what about a 14 years old girl who accepts the invitation of un unknown man to a tavern? I wish so much authors would stop believing VX century is actually XXI century. Anyway this love story is rekindled years later and the two meet in secret from time to time to sleep together. That's what is all about. We are presented with a woman that should be indipendent, resourceful and clever, yet she falls in love like an idiot and like an idiot never realizes that some romps once a year can't possibly be considered "love". Yet she's genuinely in love with "Dickon" and will be convinced he loves her too till almost the end of the book. Sorry, but I found this utterly ridiculous, and at least - just at least - "Dickon" doesn't love her back and this is clear to the reader from the first page (not to Isabel, because she's soooo smart!); because if the author had wanted me to believe this was a mutual love, I swear I would have thrown the book against the wall. To make it short, the love story which is supposed to enthrance the reader is pure rubbish. And why Richard is called "Dickon" for the entire book? Anyone calls him like that, acquainted to him or not, like he doesn't have a first name. Seriously I have never, not even once, read the name "Richard". It was so annoying and unnecessary. Historically Richard III never had any mistress after his wedding, and the justification to appease this with placing the fictional Isabel in the role is ludicrous. The liaison was always kept secret by Richard and Isabel and is never explained why it's kept secret in the first place, since in XV century there was no problem for nobles and kings to ackowledge mistresses (in fact Isabel's sister is the acknowledged mistress of Richard's brother). But it's a secret because that's so, without further explanation. And how a royal Duke, and even more a King, can afford all this privacy? But of course, dressing up as a commoner and sneaking in the darkness with a whole retinue and court unaware of his movements. I don't know, but for me the expedient of the prince who dresses as the pauper to get to know the commoners and do what he wants, was already overused 10 years ago and good for a fairy tale at best.
The Historical Theme: I can gloss over the fact that Isabel Lambert never existed (Elizabeth Lambert had only three brothers), but at least get her sister's name right! Why call her Jane? Apart from this Vanora Bennet seems to have consulted just two books, namely Thomas More and Shakespeare. Richard's portrayal is stuffed with all the later Tudor propaganda and Shakesperian inventions (apart from the infidelity to his wife, this not even his enemies could bestow on him). Richard kills his brother George with his own hands, kills Henry VI, decides he would steal the crown from the moment his brother dies, bullies Elizabeth Woodville into giving him little Richard of York, kills his "great friend" Hastings because ke already knows he wouldn't go along with him in taking the crown, as well as his nephews he declares bastards his brothers Edward and George (and Isabel mumbles to herself "how can it be true if nothing of sort came out before?". Evidently Isabel was hibernated when the rumor about Edward was started in France and then revived by the Kingmaker), plans to marry and is in love with his niece. Bennett depicts him as the worst hypocrite of the realm. When he punishes Isabel's sister Jane for harlotry, Isabel faces him and yells: "You're calling her a whore and your brother a womanizer - but you're here, meeting me. Aren't I a whore, too, then? And aren't you a womanizer, too - and a hypocrite?" Long story short this Richard is worse than any Tudorish depiction.
I found annoying that, other than More and Shakespeare and evidently many many essays about the silk trade, the author didn't take time to open - I won't dare to say a serious history book, but Wikipedia at least - to check the date of birth of her charachters. So George Neville - John Neville's son - is depicted as a "child" when he dies in 1483, when in reality he was 21; and John de la Pole Earl of Lincoln, presented as the sole heir left of the house of York - while, even not taking into account females and boys barred from attainder, he had 3 available brothers - is depicted as 9 years old in 1484, when in reality he was about 22; and Elizabeth of York is said to be 16 in 1484, when she was 18. And speaking to his lover, Hastings says that his wife, a sister of the Kingmaker, was long dead in 1483, while Katherine Neville outlived her husband by several years. When Richard encounters again Isabel after Clarence's death he says to her he has no children. Pages later we are told that Richard's son Edward was about 10 years of age. And again curious statements like "Edward [V] was on his way to London, escorted by the King". Maybe some proofreading was definitely needed in this book.
One last thing: is profusely highlighted how Richard couldn't care less about the death of the aforementioned George Neville (what a surprise!), he only cares in the measure that this prevents him to pass the Neville estates to his son, and that is given as one of the reasons why he takes the crown. Ok, but the Neville's estates were just a tiny part of Richard and Anne wealth (the Oxford estates included more than 80 manors, and the Beauchamp estates more than 150, just to name some) so all this theory seems a bit far fetched in my opinion. Last but not least I hated Anne Neville's portrayal as a madwoman who tries to slit her wrists, throw herself down the stairs, bangs her head on the walls and howls like a wolf. I understand she was crushed after her son's death, but this was distasteful and unnecessary.
To conclude my long review, I would say that probably the only thing I liked about this book is that for once Elizabeth Woodville is depicted as dark auburn, instead as blonde. There are no contemporary depictions of Elizabeth, and her portrait clearly shows dark auburn hair her Tudor descendants would inherit.
After a brief marriage Isabel is left widowed, so decides to become a femme-sole and start her own business. She meets Richard Duke of Gloucester and starts a relationship with him. The story progresses mainly about Isabel's life and activities in the silk industry, while historical facts are sparse and entwined with the main plot.
I would say that the book has three main themes: the silk industry, the love story between Richard and Isabel, and the great historical events of the period. I must say I was disappointed with all three.
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
The Silk industry theme: this is the main theme of the book, and it covers almost 3/4 of it. This is best researched and credible part of the book - at the best of my knowledge, since I know practically nothing about it. But I can say it's really thorough. The problem is that is boring to the bone, more a non fiction essay than a novel, and I didn't really care about the problems and the enterprises of the silk business, nor the people working in it. It's clear the author put a lot of efforts and researches in this part, and if she limited the book to it, making it a non fiction, it would have been more interesting. But like this it was only boring, so much that I actually skimmed through the pages in search of the historical events.
The Love Story: Isabel meets Richard Duke of Gloucester when she's 14 and he 18, before her arranged marriage, in a church. Without revealing his identity he invites her to a nearby tavern and they have a chat together. Needless to say she falls in love with him after the first casual touch of his hand, and here's the first nonsense. And what about a 14 years old girl who accepts the invitation of un unknown man to a tavern? I wish so much authors would stop believing VX century is actually XXI century. Anyway this love story is rekindled years later and the two meet in secret from time to time to sleep together. That's what is all about. We are presented with a woman that should be indipendent, resourceful and clever, yet she falls in love like an idiot and like an idiot never realizes that some romps once a year can't possibly be considered "love". Yet she's genuinely in love with "Dickon" and will be convinced he loves her too till almost the end of the book. Sorry, but I found this utterly ridiculous, and at least - just at least - "Dickon" doesn't love her back and this is clear to the reader from the first page (not to Isabel, because she's soooo smart!); because if the author had wanted me to believe this was a mutual love, I swear I would have thrown the book against the wall. To make it short, the love story which is supposed to enthrance the reader is pure rubbish. And why Richard is called "Dickon" for the entire book? Anyone calls him like that, acquainted to him or not, like he doesn't have a first name. Seriously I have never, not even once, read the name "Richard". It was so annoying and unnecessary. Historically Richard III never had any mistress after his wedding, and the justification to appease this with placing the fictional Isabel in the role is ludicrous. The liaison was always kept secret by Richard and Isabel and is never explained why it's kept secret in the first place, since in XV century there was no problem for nobles and kings to ackowledge mistresses (in fact Isabel's sister is the acknowledged mistress of Richard's brother). But it's a secret because that's so, without further explanation. And how a royal Duke, and even more a King, can afford all this privacy? But of course, dressing up as a commoner and sneaking in the darkness with a whole retinue and court unaware of his movements. I don't know, but for me the expedient of the prince who dresses as the pauper to get to know the commoners and do what he wants, was already overused 10 years ago and good for a fairy tale at best.
The Historical Theme: I can gloss over the fact that Isabel Lambert never existed (Elizabeth Lambert had only three brothers), but at least get her sister's name right! Why call her Jane? Apart from this Vanora Bennet seems to have consulted just two books, namely Thomas More and Shakespeare. Richard's portrayal is stuffed with all the later Tudor propaganda and Shakesperian inventions (apart from the infidelity to his wife, this not even his enemies could bestow on him). Richard kills his brother George with his own hands, kills Henry VI, decides he would steal the crown from the moment his brother dies, bullies Elizabeth Woodville into giving him little Richard of York, kills his "great friend" Hastings because ke already knows he wouldn't go along with him in taking the crown, as well as his nephews he declares bastards his brothers Edward and George (and Isabel mumbles to herself "how can it be true if nothing of sort came out before?". Evidently Isabel was hibernated when the rumor about Edward was started in France and then revived by the Kingmaker), plans to marry and is in love with his niece. Bennett depicts him as the worst hypocrite of the realm. When he punishes Isabel's sister Jane for harlotry, Isabel faces him and yells: "You're calling her a whore and your brother a womanizer - but you're here, meeting me. Aren't I a whore, too, then? And aren't you a womanizer, too - and a hypocrite?" Long story short this Richard is worse than any Tudorish depiction.
I found annoying that, other than More and Shakespeare and evidently many many essays about the silk trade, the author didn't take time to open - I won't dare to say a serious history book, but Wikipedia at least - to check the date of birth of her charachters. So George Neville - John Neville's son - is depicted as a "child" when he dies in 1483, when in reality he was 21; and John de la Pole Earl of Lincoln, presented as the sole heir left of the house of York - while, even not taking into account females and boys barred from attainder, he had 3 available brothers - is depicted as 9 years old in 1484, when in reality he was about 22; and Elizabeth of York is said to be 16 in 1484, when she was 18. And speaking to his lover, Hastings says that his wife, a sister of the Kingmaker, was long dead in 1483, while Katherine Neville outlived her husband by several years. When Richard encounters again Isabel after Clarence's death he says to her he has no children. Pages later we are told that Richard's son Edward was about 10 years of age. And again curious statements like "Edward [V] was on his way to London, escorted by the King". Maybe some proofreading was definitely needed in this book.
One last thing: is profusely highlighted how Richard couldn't care less about the death of the aforementioned George Neville (what a surprise!), he only cares in the measure that this prevents him to pass the Neville estates to his son, and that is given as one of the reasons why he takes the crown. Ok, but the Neville's estates were just a tiny part of Richard and Anne wealth (the Oxford estates included more than 80 manors, and the Beauchamp estates more than 150, just to name some) so all this theory seems a bit far fetched in my opinion. Last but not least I hated Anne Neville's portrayal as a madwoman who tries to slit her wrists, throw herself down the stairs, bangs her head on the walls and howls like a wolf. I understand she was crushed after her son's death, but this was distasteful and unnecessary.
To conclude my long review, I would say that probably the only thing I liked about this book is that for once Elizabeth Woodville is depicted as dark auburn, instead as blonde. There are no contemporary depictions of Elizabeth, and her portrait clearly shows dark auburn hair her Tudor descendants would inherit.
April 17, 2017
Another vivid, engrossing historical novel from Vanora Bennett, chock full of period detail and fascinating characters.
November 28, 2018
Tam da okumak istediğim kurgu ve temaya sahip bir kitap idi.. 15.Yüzyılda geçen bu hikaye de o dönemde pek görülmeyen güçlü bir kadın karakteri vardı. Kadının söz hakkı yok kendi hayatı ile ilgili karar verme hakkı yoktu.
Ama İsabel ve Hane bu prangayı kendi üslupları ile yıktılar. İkisi de büyük maceralara sürüklediler kralların sevdiği oldular k yazarı okumakla keşke daha önce okusaymışım..
Ama İsabel ve Hane bu prangayı kendi üslupları ile yıktılar. İkisi de büyük maceralara sürüklediler kralların sevdiği oldular k yazarı okumakla keşke daha önce okusaymışım..
May 11, 2010
While I was on the treadmill this afternoon, I watched as Gordon Brown, his wife, and his two children took their leave of 10 Downing Street. Brown stood in front of the hoards of photographers, smiled, then climbed into a car, streaking through London toward Buckingham Palace to give his resignation to the Queen. I’m not British, nor have I paid much attention to British politics since I spent the spring of 2007 in Scotland, but I got a lump in my throat watching his car make his way down the city streets. It’s amazing to me that some of us are lucky enough to live in countries where the our leaders step down after public elections when history has shown us that it’s just as easy to hold your position through battle and murder. Say what you want about politics and politicians, but there are times when the system is beautiful.
I just finished another one of my historical fiction novels, one that shows us what happens when the established system just breaks down. Vanora Bennett’s Figures in Silk — yet another novel based in the Ricardian period—centers around Isabel, a wealthy girl turned silkwoman after the death of her young husband during one of the many skirmishes of the War of the Roses. As she labors to break the Italian stranglehold on the silk market and establish a manufacturing center in London, she enters into a relationship with a secretive man, Dickon. To say any more would be a spoiler, so I’ll let things go here.
What I find so interesting about this period of Plantagenet decline is how people lived with what was essentially the same war through several generations. Yorkists and Lancastrians faced each other on the battlefield time and time again, two sides of a single family warring for the throne at the cost of their country and their people. In this novel, we experience the deaths of three kings (four, depending on whether you’re counting kings that made it to their coronation or not), each time throwing England into a tizzy of changing dynasties and loyalties. Such instability stifles intellectual and industrial growth; I don’t think that I can be faulted in thinking that England’s renaissance happened mainly due to the relative calm of the Tudor period. When our governments are stable, so are we. A good percentage of our politicians know this and graciously remove themselves from a seat of power when called to by the people. Figures in Silk is not a novel that will go will be touted in literature classes ten years from now, but it bears a read if only to appreciate what we have now.
I just finished another one of my historical fiction novels, one that shows us what happens when the established system just breaks down. Vanora Bennett’s Figures in Silk — yet another novel based in the Ricardian period—centers around Isabel, a wealthy girl turned silkwoman after the death of her young husband during one of the many skirmishes of the War of the Roses. As she labors to break the Italian stranglehold on the silk market and establish a manufacturing center in London, she enters into a relationship with a secretive man, Dickon. To say any more would be a spoiler, so I’ll let things go here.
What I find so interesting about this period of Plantagenet decline is how people lived with what was essentially the same war through several generations. Yorkists and Lancastrians faced each other on the battlefield time and time again, two sides of a single family warring for the throne at the cost of their country and their people. In this novel, we experience the deaths of three kings (four, depending on whether you’re counting kings that made it to their coronation or not), each time throwing England into a tizzy of changing dynasties and loyalties. Such instability stifles intellectual and industrial growth; I don’t think that I can be faulted in thinking that England’s renaissance happened mainly due to the relative calm of the Tudor period. When our governments are stable, so are we. A good percentage of our politicians know this and graciously remove themselves from a seat of power when called to by the people. Figures in Silk is not a novel that will go will be touted in literature classes ten years from now, but it bears a read if only to appreciate what we have now.
September 30, 2015
If you are bored by descriptions of the 15th century European fabric industry, this is not a book for you.
However, if you’re interested at all in the role thread and cloth played in the late medieval world, as seen by a character on an apprentice–to–master journey storyline, I think you would enjoy this book.
15th century London teenager Isabella Lambert finds out in Chapter One that her father has engaged her to a man she hardly knows for economical-political reasons. She is advised by a new acquaintance that even though she is pawn – this marriage is just the first move, and there are many possible moves in the future.
So, working with what she has at any given moment, Isabella continues to make moves, and very smart, strategic ones at that. After all, as she learns later on, a pawn can take a king. And this book could have just as easily been titled “Queen of Silk.”
Meanwhile, her sister, Jane Shore – yes, that Jane Shore - has made different life choices in response to a patriarchal world, and is living a life of luxurious ease. Isabella has to come to terms with the fact she is jealous of her sister while at the same time benefiting from her sister’s connections. And we see Jane working as hard as Isabella, in quite a different way, as she makes things happen at court with a few carefully placed coos and kisses.
What I thought was awesome was that these two sisters demonstrate This Is How Business Works. The economy is, at its heart, a meeting at a party, the right people taking a few minutes to discuss a proposition over a glass of something, a word here, a nudge there, and, at the very center, the courage to speak up with a New Idea.
As the book moves forward, we also see how much business is influenced by politics, and everyone keeps a wary on the royal family, worried about what each regime change will mean in the very real form of taxes and riots.
The main characters gets close to the heart of events that marked the end of the War of the Roses, but even she, with her insider trading, is left in the dark on a few issues, giving the reader some tantalizing theories to chew on.
Amazing, really, how so many writers can take the same set of facts and every single one of them adds them up to a different sum. Fascinating.
One last note - hard core fans of the “true love” romance of Anne Neville and Richard of York that pops up so often in a lot of the War of the Roses fiction will hate how their marriage is portrayed here. Just saying.
August 21, 2017
A splendid blend of romance and history as the author takes one into the world of silk making. Set in the late 1400’s, the story is based around two sisters, Jane and Isabel, who are the daughters of a silk merchant in London, John Lambert. Lambert’s business is suffering and in desperation, he resolves to marry off his two daughters to rich husbands.
Jane, the eldest of his daughters, marries Will Shore, but then later divorces him when she becomes romantically involved with Edward Plantagenet (King Edward IV) and she continues to be his mistress for several years.
Isabel marries Thomas Claver, a goldsmith, who is the son of Alice Claver, another silk merchant. Thomas later dies, making Isabel a widow, but Alice Claver is impressed with Isabel’s obvious skills involving the manufacturing of silk and teaches her everything she knows about the silk industry, from producing the finest quality silk to the business end of marketing the silk.
Isabel then becomes involved, in a business sense, with King Edward’s plan to bring in workers from Venice, their competitor, to make the finest quality silk.
After Edward’s death though, Jane goes to prison, which is a surprising twist in the story. Another twist is that Isabel later becomes involved with Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, who eventually becomes King Richard III.
I found the weaving of a fictional story plot into the well researched history of the time era to be quite impressive. The romantic involvements of the two sisters plays a very important part in the story plotting, while the setting is really the main focus point of the novel, as the reader learns about the rulers of the land and how important the silk industry becomes to their success or demise.
I believe there may be a few discrepancies in the historical part and a few plotting avenues that were not totally believable, however overall the story itself flows quite smoothly with just enough romance and mystery interlaced with historical accuracy to make for a very good storyline for anyone who enjoys history or historical romance.
I also found the blending of the setting and plotting to accentuate each other nicely, keeping the reader’s interest in the two women, Jane and Isabel, and their very apparent affluence in the silk industry, while also learning the importance of that industry to the politics of the land’s government.
Jane, the eldest of his daughters, marries Will Shore, but then later divorces him when she becomes romantically involved with Edward Plantagenet (King Edward IV) and she continues to be his mistress for several years.
Isabel marries Thomas Claver, a goldsmith, who is the son of Alice Claver, another silk merchant. Thomas later dies, making Isabel a widow, but Alice Claver is impressed with Isabel’s obvious skills involving the manufacturing of silk and teaches her everything she knows about the silk industry, from producing the finest quality silk to the business end of marketing the silk.
Isabel then becomes involved, in a business sense, with King Edward’s plan to bring in workers from Venice, their competitor, to make the finest quality silk.
After Edward’s death though, Jane goes to prison, which is a surprising twist in the story. Another twist is that Isabel later becomes involved with Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, who eventually becomes King Richard III.
I found the weaving of a fictional story plot into the well researched history of the time era to be quite impressive. The romantic involvements of the two sisters plays a very important part in the story plotting, while the setting is really the main focus point of the novel, as the reader learns about the rulers of the land and how important the silk industry becomes to their success or demise.
I believe there may be a few discrepancies in the historical part and a few plotting avenues that were not totally believable, however overall the story itself flows quite smoothly with just enough romance and mystery interlaced with historical accuracy to make for a very good storyline for anyone who enjoys history or historical romance.
I also found the blending of the setting and plotting to accentuate each other nicely, keeping the reader’s interest in the two women, Jane and Isabel, and their very apparent affluence in the silk industry, while also learning the importance of that industry to the politics of the land’s government.
August 12, 2009
There was nothing particularly good or bad about Figures in Silk. It was beige. The first chapter was slow and ridiculously uninteresting, and if it weren't for the fact that I was reading this for my book club I would not have continued. Thankfully, the rest of the book was much better, although it did have moments of gratuitous prose that seems to be so popular among female authors in the historical fiction genre. I could have done without that. I tend to skim a lot in those passages. They just aren't necessary. Nonetheless, I kept reading and flew through the book. The story did had some problems, though. Key events seemed implausible and more like convenient ways to solve a plot problem, rather than natural story progression. Bennett didn't do a great job of setting up the time period and historical placement of events. The result was some of the characters seemed too modern and just plopped in a period setting.
I did do some reading on the War of the Roses and Edward the IV and Richard the III, because I really didn't know too much about that time period going in. It was helpful to understand a little more of the context of the novel, especially since Bennett really didn't do a good job of creating that atmosphere.
If you liked Phillipa Gregory's novels, or have a particular interest in this time period, you might enjoy this novel, otherwise, it could easily be skipped and you'd be no worse off for not having read it.
I did do some reading on the War of the Roses and Edward the IV and Richard the III, because I really didn't know too much about that time period going in. It was helpful to understand a little more of the context of the novel, especially since Bennett really didn't do a good job of creating that atmosphere.
If you liked Phillipa Gregory's novels, or have a particular interest in this time period, you might enjoy this novel, otherwise, it could easily be skipped and you'd be no worse off for not having read it.
November 9, 2012
So we're supposed to believe a sheltered 14-year-old daughter of a well-off merchant during the end of the War of the Roses would open her heart about her fears of her upcoming nuptials to a forbidding-looking man she just met? That's just the first of many implausabilities in this historical novel.
Now, a masterful writer can make the implausible believable or at least palatable (see Dickens). Ms Bennett is not that writer. The sense of time and place is well delineated, but there's way too much telling rather than showing when it comes to the motivations and feelings of her main characters, as if she herself felt she had to spell out why these people were behaving unrealistically. And although most of the book is filtered through the inner life of the protagonist, Isabel, occasionally we're made privy to the thoughts of a few secondary characters as well; while these characters are at times more interesting than Isabel, because we take their point of view only once or twice, the result is a jerky, creaky narrative.
So why am I giving this two stars instead of just one? Because in a weird way it was readable--I was determined to get to the end to see just how the loose ends were going to be tied up and if the ending would surprise me by being somewhat satisfying. Unfortunately, I was not surprised.
Now, a masterful writer can make the implausible believable or at least palatable (see Dickens). Ms Bennett is not that writer. The sense of time and place is well delineated, but there's way too much telling rather than showing when it comes to the motivations and feelings of her main characters, as if she herself felt she had to spell out why these people were behaving unrealistically. And although most of the book is filtered through the inner life of the protagonist, Isabel, occasionally we're made privy to the thoughts of a few secondary characters as well; while these characters are at times more interesting than Isabel, because we take their point of view only once or twice, the result is a jerky, creaky narrative.
So why am I giving this two stars instead of just one? Because in a weird way it was readable--I was determined to get to the end to see just how the loose ends were going to be tied up and if the ending would surprise me by being somewhat satisfying. Unfortunately, I was not surprised.
October 3, 2010
While I found Figures in Silk to be a good read, I cannot say there was anything particularly bad or amazing about the novel. This novel centered itself around the character of Isabel Claver, a fictional sister of King Edward IV's mistress Jane Shore. While Isabel, who finds her vocation in the London silk industry, is an interesting character, I found her affair with Richard of Gloucester to be a bit contrived. However, I must give credit to the author for not attempt to completely whitewash Richard's character, as often happens in fiction set in this period.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2014
"We all end up equal in the bottom of the bag". This historical fiction is based in 14th Century London following the Wars of the Roses and incorporating the silk industry that was the centre of the English silkwomen's trade in Medieval London. I really enjoyed this book, gave it 4 stars for entertainment and noteworthy history.
February 19, 2019
Couldn't relate to the characters and there was far too much research included in the novel, at the cost of the story.
March 8, 2024
Figures in Silk is one of those unexpected books that makes you think, makes you smile, makes you put it away for a week, then makes you finish the last 100 pages in a frenzy because you have to know how it ends. The book has its flaws, but I had a marvelous time reading it and have become more interested in Plantagenet history as a result of it. On the negative side, my family has been hearing me rant about Richard III for the last week, but that’s only a negative for them.
The plot, which takes place from 1471 to 1485, follows Isabel Lambert, who becomes Isabel Claver after her arranged marriage with the son of a wealthy but demanding silkwoman named Alice Claver. After the untimely death of her husband, Isabel defies tradition and indentures herself to Alice to learn the silk trade, quickly rising through the ranks to become one of the most powerful silkwomen in London and begin the first London-based silk production. However, her secret love affair with Dickon, the Duke of Gloucester, puts Isabel on an entirely different stage of players — one that concerns the fate of kingdoms. As Dickon rises to become the contentious King Richard III, Isabel is forced to confront uncertain and dangerous realities in order to hold onto the silk empire she has worked so hard to build.
I have never been much of an expert on the Wars of the Roses or anything of that era, but the plot of Figures in Silk sounded interesting to me when I was standing in the back corner of my local library, and I ended up choosing it because it promised a great deal of information about the medieval silk trade, which I also know nothing about but which sounds geeky enough for me to love. However, I quickly got swept up in the characters and story, which plays out on an enormous scope of historical and cultural background. While I know that some of the story is somewhat unrealistic and occasionally deviates from fact, Vanora Bennett is obviously well-versed in her Plantagenet history, and her epilogue that discusses all the historical sources she consulted in her research (along with a worked cited page!) was, again, geeky enough for me to love.
The plot gets quite complicated at times, with the concerns of the silk trade and the dangers of the royal coup trading turns for center stage of the novel. The wide variety of real-life characters — Richard III, King Edward IV, Jane Shore, Alice Claver, Anne and William Pratte, Lord Hastings, Lord Dorset, Elizabeth of York, Will Caxton; the list goes on and on — are mixed with a few original characters to great effect. Even if you know how the historical figures’ stories end (which I actually didn’t), you can’t help getting invested in the rapidly-changing state of affairs in London and the way it affects the characters on a personal level. Though the grand historical backdrop was always fascinating (and indeed, SO MUCH happens from the beginning to the end of the story), it was the characters who made me stay interested in the story. They are complex, confusing, and compelling in turns, which I think is befitting of a historical fiction novel. Elizabeth of York was probably the most interesting character in the novel, alternating between innocence and craftiness in a way that was refreshingly unexpected. I like that Bennett’s original concept for the story was centered on Elizabeth.
Nevertheless, Figures in Silk isn’t perfect. Doubtlessly it drags on for long stretches and probably could have been shortened by 50-75 pages, and some unnecessary plot threads get stretched out too far . Some occasions of historical inaccuracy are also a little distracting, but not so far as to make it a poor history writing. I didn’t like the way Bennett glossed over some sexual harassment/assault instances either, making the aggressors ultimately somewhat sympathetic. I’ve seen some criticism of Bennett’s depiction of Richard III and his affair with Isabel, since Richard was famed for being unusually faithful to Anne Woodville, but I suppose the story wouldn’t unfold if it wasn’t told this way. My primary problem with Bennett's Dickon was that we just don't know anything about him besides what Isabel sees of him, which is purposely cloudy. Richard III is one of the most interesting and contentious figures in history, and I wish we could have gotten a little more characterization and insight beyond “sexy, secretive dark king.”
I suppose my biggest issue with this book was the main character, Isabel Claver. Sometimes I sympathized with her, but often I was shaking my head at her, and not in the way of a character who is specifically written to go on a downward spiral. I neither love nor hate nor am indifferent to her, but some other secret fourth thing. Isabel’s characterization and arc is shaky at times, depicting her as an unparalleled genius of the marketplace, swindling Italian silk merchants and setting up an industry behind everyone’s backs while also teasing out every rumor in London and using it for her advantage. However, when it comes to relationships, Isabel is completely inconsistent, shutting out the people who love and care for her in favor of a clandestine relationship with Dickon, who is so obviously evil and conniving that it just seems impossible for the intelligent, candid Miss Claver to be blinded to him, even for love. Their love story is built on physical attraction and imagined need, which is compelling but just not sustainable for more than a decade. Maybe I was repulsed and invested (repested? invulsed?) in their relationship because it reminds me so much of a relationship that I had once. Seeing Isabel make the same mistake I did caused me to constantly shift on my feelings for her character, which made this book tough sometimes. Isabel is a strong character to be sure — I just can’t decide how I feel about her.
…which of course makes the ending of the book equally unsure for me.
Just the same, I truly did enjoy reading this book. The writing style is quite unique, relying on more exposition of political affairs and silk-trade lingo than dialogue, but it suited the material very well. Isabel was a complicated main character, which of course is my favorite kind, and her torrid love story with Dickon hit uncomfortably close to home, which again is my favorite kind. Thanks to Vanora Bennett, I am now obsessed with the mystery of Richard III and the Princes in the Tower, so I may be reviewing a historical nonfiction book next :D
The plot, which takes place from 1471 to 1485, follows Isabel Lambert, who becomes Isabel Claver after her arranged marriage with the son of a wealthy but demanding silkwoman named Alice Claver. After the untimely death of her husband, Isabel defies tradition and indentures herself to Alice to learn the silk trade, quickly rising through the ranks to become one of the most powerful silkwomen in London and begin the first London-based silk production. However, her secret love affair with Dickon, the Duke of Gloucester, puts Isabel on an entirely different stage of players — one that concerns the fate of kingdoms. As Dickon rises to become the contentious King Richard III, Isabel is forced to confront uncertain and dangerous realities in order to hold onto the silk empire she has worked so hard to build.
I have never been much of an expert on the Wars of the Roses or anything of that era, but the plot of Figures in Silk sounded interesting to me when I was standing in the back corner of my local library, and I ended up choosing it because it promised a great deal of information about the medieval silk trade, which I also know nothing about but which sounds geeky enough for me to love. However, I quickly got swept up in the characters and story, which plays out on an enormous scope of historical and cultural background. While I know that some of the story is somewhat unrealistic and occasionally deviates from fact, Vanora Bennett is obviously well-versed in her Plantagenet history, and her epilogue that discusses all the historical sources she consulted in her research (along with a worked cited page!) was, again, geeky enough for me to love.
The plot gets quite complicated at times, with the concerns of the silk trade and the dangers of the royal coup trading turns for center stage of the novel. The wide variety of real-life characters — Richard III, King Edward IV, Jane Shore, Alice Claver, Anne and William Pratte, Lord Hastings, Lord Dorset, Elizabeth of York, Will Caxton; the list goes on and on — are mixed with a few original characters to great effect. Even if you know how the historical figures’ stories end (which I actually didn’t), you can’t help getting invested in the rapidly-changing state of affairs in London and the way it affects the characters on a personal level. Though the grand historical backdrop was always fascinating (and indeed, SO MUCH happens from the beginning to the end of the story), it was the characters who made me stay interested in the story. They are complex, confusing, and compelling in turns, which I think is befitting of a historical fiction novel. Elizabeth of York was probably the most interesting character in the novel, alternating between innocence and craftiness in a way that was refreshingly unexpected. I like that Bennett’s original concept for the story was centered on Elizabeth.
Nevertheless, Figures in Silk isn’t perfect. Doubtlessly it drags on for long stretches and probably could have been shortened by 50-75 pages, and some unnecessary plot threads get stretched out too far . Some occasions of historical inaccuracy are also a little distracting, but not so far as to make it a poor history writing. I didn’t like the way Bennett glossed over some sexual harassment/assault instances either, making the aggressors ultimately somewhat sympathetic. I’ve seen some criticism of Bennett’s depiction of Richard III and his affair with Isabel, since Richard was famed for being unusually faithful to Anne Woodville, but I suppose the story wouldn’t unfold if it wasn’t told this way. My primary problem with Bennett's Dickon was that we just don't know anything about him besides what Isabel sees of him, which is purposely cloudy. Richard III is one of the most interesting and contentious figures in history, and I wish we could have gotten a little more characterization and insight beyond “sexy, secretive dark king.”
I suppose my biggest issue with this book was the main character, Isabel Claver. Sometimes I sympathized with her, but often I was shaking my head at her, and not in the way of a character who is specifically written to go on a downward spiral. I neither love nor hate nor am indifferent to her, but some other secret fourth thing. Isabel’s characterization and arc is shaky at times, depicting her as an unparalleled genius of the marketplace, swindling Italian silk merchants and setting up an industry behind everyone’s backs while also teasing out every rumor in London and using it for her advantage. However, when it comes to relationships, Isabel is completely inconsistent, shutting out the people who love and care for her in favor of a clandestine relationship with Dickon, who is so obviously evil and conniving that it just seems impossible for the intelligent, candid Miss Claver to be blinded to him, even for love. Their love story is built on physical attraction and imagined need, which is compelling but just not sustainable for more than a decade. Maybe I was repulsed and invested (repested? invulsed?) in their relationship because it reminds me so much of a relationship that I had once. Seeing Isabel make the same mistake I did caused me to constantly shift on my feelings for her character, which made this book tough sometimes. Isabel is a strong character to be sure — I just can’t decide how I feel about her.
…which of course makes the ending of the book equally unsure for me.
Just the same, I truly did enjoy reading this book. The writing style is quite unique, relying on more exposition of political affairs and silk-trade lingo than dialogue, but it suited the material very well. Isabel was a complicated main character, which of course is my favorite kind, and her torrid love story with Dickon hit uncomfortably close to home, which again is my favorite kind. Thanks to Vanora Bennett, I am now obsessed with the mystery of Richard III and the Princes in the Tower, so I may be reviewing a historical nonfiction book next :D
December 15, 2022
I enjoyed aspects of this and it was certainly a fun read! The silk industry side of this tale is covered in such detail, and I did enjoy learning more about how the industry functioned in this time period. From the blurb, I expected Jane to be a much larger presence and it does seem such a shame to have her sidelined so much (and even when she does feature, her character lacks depth) when she had such an interesting position in real life. Equally, some of the other women in the narrative like Alice start off as strong presences and then fade to the background as historical events kick into gear.
My main complaint would be the inconsistent characterisation and unbelievable plot details. Richard's characterisation seems to veer off a bit at times, particularly in moments like Hasting's arrest, and the result is that it makes Isabel seem like an extremely bad judge of character. Based on her business dealings we're supposed to view her as very savvy and observant, but she swallows his spins so easily that it really draws that into question. The relationship between the two never really seemed to open us up to any insight into Richard III - aside from popping up for clandestine meetings where he drops the odd crumb of information before riding off we never actually gain much from his interactions with Isabel.
I find myself coming away from this feeling quite mixed. I had a fun time and I was entertained, but the strongest elements of the story never really seemed to develop in a way that reached their full potential.
My main complaint would be the inconsistent characterisation and unbelievable plot details. Richard's characterisation seems to veer off a bit at times, particularly in moments like Hasting's arrest, and the result is that it makes Isabel seem like an extremely bad judge of character. Based on her business dealings we're supposed to view her as very savvy and observant, but she swallows his spins so easily that it really draws that into question. The relationship between the two never really seemed to open us up to any insight into Richard III - aside from popping up for clandestine meetings where he drops the odd crumb of information before riding off we never actually gain much from his interactions with Isabel.
I find myself coming away from this feeling quite mixed. I had a fun time and I was entertained, but the strongest elements of the story never really seemed to develop in a way that reached their full potential.
November 10, 2022
Once it got going it was quite good but I have to admit it was a slow start. There is a lot of period detail and a huge amount on the silk trade. Well, why waste good, pain-staking research. How true is it? - well, people love to speculate about Richard 3rd, here's yet another interpretation. We will ever know the real King Richard 111 of England?
Toast
Toast
April 12, 2009
I'm Sorry But I Have To Be Honest, I thought this book was just horrid. I can not believe that Vanora Bennett wrote this. I read and loved 'Portrait of an Unknown Woman' and would recommend that book, I can't recommend this to anyone.
I have so many criticisms that I'm going to have to stay focused. I thought the writing itself was awkward, stumbling and difficult. The characters were not at all developed even the main character, Isabel. The emotions and the events that unfold do not ring true and there is an all over lack of period detail.
There were many strange references to Isabel's father as John Lambert. For example, 'As for the younger brother, the Duke of Gloucester (an eighteen year old veteran whom Isabel remembered John Lambert describing with awestruck reverence after seeing him at King Edward's mass in April), in Anne Pratte's view he was an out-and-out thief.'
Generally when a character recalls what her father told her you would expect him to be described as 'her father' same goes for her sister. But that was not the case in this book and I found it strange and awkward.
I also found an inordinate number of semicolons and commas. Here's an example 'Trying to imagine what it would be like for your father to die, all that came to her mind was sounds: the snuffles of women weeping; the banging of her hammer, nailing down a coffin lid, nailing shut the door of her home; the chilly quiet of Cheapside by night, for those with nowhere to go; the scuttling of rats.' Which got me wondering, where was the editor; where was the English teacher?
There was also a theme of contradiction. The author would describe one state of being only to contradict it almost immediately with something completely opposite. Here's just one example, 'All she had energy to do was to curl up alone on her grand empty marriage bed, stretching out her cramped muscles, whispering to Thomas as she rubbed warmth back into her blue-white fingers.' Is she curling up or stretching out?
I have read quite a few books set during this period of time and there were so many actual betrayals and reversals of fortune that there is hardly the need to concoct ridiculous and unbelievable events to further a story set during this period in time. I found the author guilty of just that. Her character Isabel's actions failed to follow logic again and again. And the coincidences that worked in her favor were similarly difficult to believe.
I can honestly recommend any other book I've read set during this time period. If you want to read something really wonderful about the War of the Roses try Sharon Kay Penman's 'The Sunne In Slendour'.
If the author had thrown this in the trash bin and started over with a story that focused on the silk trade she might have had something half way interesting to read. As it is the silk story was a weak thread woven into a poorly fabricated story.
*.*.*. SPOILER ALERT .*.*.*
Things that I found completely ridiculous:
Isabel couldn't trust Alice to meet with Will Hastings because she would take all the credit for the silk weaving deal with the king. It was Alice who put the idea in her head in the first place. It made no sense.
Were we really supposed to believe that all the little silk women were a match for Thomas Howard and his men-at-arms when they came to arrest Jane Shore?
And when suddenly Isabel saves Dorset because she just couldn't leave him? He made her skin crawl but now she and all of her friends are going to save him and smuggle him to safety out of the country? Please!
*.*.*.END of SPOILERS .*.*.*
If you are dying to read this I suggest you borrow it from the library and save your money for 'Portrait of an Unknown Woman' by Vanora Bennett or 'The Sunne In Splendour' by Sharon Kay Penman.
I have so many criticisms that I'm going to have to stay focused. I thought the writing itself was awkward, stumbling and difficult. The characters were not at all developed even the main character, Isabel. The emotions and the events that unfold do not ring true and there is an all over lack of period detail.
There were many strange references to Isabel's father as John Lambert. For example, 'As for the younger brother, the Duke of Gloucester (an eighteen year old veteran whom Isabel remembered John Lambert describing with awestruck reverence after seeing him at King Edward's mass in April), in Anne Pratte's view he was an out-and-out thief.'
Generally when a character recalls what her father told her you would expect him to be described as 'her father' same goes for her sister. But that was not the case in this book and I found it strange and awkward.
I also found an inordinate number of semicolons and commas. Here's an example 'Trying to imagine what it would be like for your father to die, all that came to her mind was sounds: the snuffles of women weeping; the banging of her hammer, nailing down a coffin lid, nailing shut the door of her home; the chilly quiet of Cheapside by night, for those with nowhere to go; the scuttling of rats.' Which got me wondering, where was the editor; where was the English teacher?
There was also a theme of contradiction. The author would describe one state of being only to contradict it almost immediately with something completely opposite. Here's just one example, 'All she had energy to do was to curl up alone on her grand empty marriage bed, stretching out her cramped muscles, whispering to Thomas as she rubbed warmth back into her blue-white fingers.' Is she curling up or stretching out?
I have read quite a few books set during this period of time and there were so many actual betrayals and reversals of fortune that there is hardly the need to concoct ridiculous and unbelievable events to further a story set during this period in time. I found the author guilty of just that. Her character Isabel's actions failed to follow logic again and again. And the coincidences that worked in her favor were similarly difficult to believe.
I can honestly recommend any other book I've read set during this time period. If you want to read something really wonderful about the War of the Roses try Sharon Kay Penman's 'The Sunne In Slendour'.
If the author had thrown this in the trash bin and started over with a story that focused on the silk trade she might have had something half way interesting to read. As it is the silk story was a weak thread woven into a poorly fabricated story.
*.*.*. SPOILER ALERT .*.*.*
Things that I found completely ridiculous:
Isabel couldn't trust Alice to meet with Will Hastings because she would take all the credit for the silk weaving deal with the king. It was Alice who put the idea in her head in the first place. It made no sense.
Were we really supposed to believe that all the little silk women were a match for Thomas Howard and his men-at-arms when they came to arrest Jane Shore?
And when suddenly Isabel saves Dorset because she just couldn't leave him? He made her skin crawl but now she and all of her friends are going to save him and smuggle him to safety out of the country? Please!
*.*.*.END of SPOILERS .*.*.*
If you are dying to read this I suggest you borrow it from the library and save your money for 'Portrait of an Unknown Woman' by Vanora Bennett or 'The Sunne In Splendour' by Sharon Kay Penman.
April 16, 2020
I was really looking forward to reading this. It's the first Historical Fiction I've read that takes place before the reign of Henry VIII, so I was excited to get a glimpse of London before the Tudors came into power. I knew the story revolved mainly around sisters Isabel and Jane, and not so much on court life, but I was ok with this as well...a look at life on the streets of London during a very tumultuous time in its history. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a BIG disappointment. I read all the reviews here beforehand, figured the pros outweighed the cons, and decided to go for it...it was a mistake.
I'm not going to summarize this book since it's already been done here many times, but let me rattle off just a few reasons why I'm giving this only two stars.
1. The synopsis says this is about two sisters, Isabel and Jane...WRONG! About 95% of the story is about Isabel and her silk weaving job, and only about 5% is focused on Jane (who, in my opinion, seemed to have the more interesting story). I knew there was a lot of focus on silk in this story (hello, the title!), I just wasn't expecting THIS much. While the author clearly developed a sincere appreciation for the craft, I found myself bored with all the 'shop talk'.
2. I found it VERY hard to believe that Isabel, who was portrayed as an intelligent, sharp businesswoman, who had a knack for sniffing out the honest merchants in her field, would be so easily duped by Dickon. I know she loved him, but really? In the 10+ years she spent as his mistress, she never ONCE opened her eyes to his blatant lies? And what's worse, when she DID find out he had lied, she didn't care! After all he did to her sister, I found it extremely distasteful that she would continue to carry on with him, and I pretty much stopped caring about her at that point.
3. Now, this may just be me being nit-picky, but I've read a lot of books from this era (15th/16th century), and I was a bit perplexed as to how both Jane (mistress to King Edward IV) and Isabel (Mistress to Richard III), were able to carry on with these men for over 10 YEARS, and not ONCE end up pregnant? Yet, when Jane marries and settles down, BAM!, she's pregnant within the year. It was just MUCH too convenient for me. There was no birth control back then, and mistresses usually bore numerous illegitimate children by their lovers. However, Jane and Isabel seemed to have lucked out there...hmmmm. Not very authentic, especially given just how long they carried on their relationships.
I could go on, but I suppose I'll leave it at that. I gave it two stars and not one because I did finish the book, so that's something, and I did enjoy some parts of the story, such as the setting, the princesses and the battle for the throne...and anything involving Jane (it's really a shame she wasn't given a bigger part). Overall though, I'd have to recommend skipping this. It's just not much of a page-turner, and while Isabel started out with much promise, her character became so flawed that I could barely stand to read about her anymore.
I'm not going to summarize this book since it's already been done here many times, but let me rattle off just a few reasons why I'm giving this only two stars.
1. The synopsis says this is about two sisters, Isabel and Jane...WRONG! About 95% of the story is about Isabel and her silk weaving job, and only about 5% is focused on Jane (who, in my opinion, seemed to have the more interesting story). I knew there was a lot of focus on silk in this story (hello, the title!), I just wasn't expecting THIS much. While the author clearly developed a sincere appreciation for the craft, I found myself bored with all the 'shop talk'.
2. I found it VERY hard to believe that Isabel, who was portrayed as an intelligent, sharp businesswoman, who had a knack for sniffing out the honest merchants in her field, would be so easily duped by Dickon. I know she loved him, but really? In the 10+ years she spent as his mistress, she never ONCE opened her eyes to his blatant lies? And what's worse, when she DID find out he had lied, she didn't care! After all he did to her sister, I found it extremely distasteful that she would continue to carry on with him, and I pretty much stopped caring about her at that point.
3. Now, this may just be me being nit-picky, but I've read a lot of books from this era (15th/16th century), and I was a bit perplexed as to how both Jane (mistress to King Edward IV) and Isabel (Mistress to Richard III), were able to carry on with these men for over 10 YEARS, and not ONCE end up pregnant? Yet, when Jane marries and settles down, BAM!, she's pregnant within the year. It was just MUCH too convenient for me. There was no birth control back then, and mistresses usually bore numerous illegitimate children by their lovers. However, Jane and Isabel seemed to have lucked out there...hmmmm. Not very authentic, especially given just how long they carried on their relationships.
I could go on, but I suppose I'll leave it at that. I gave it two stars and not one because I did finish the book, so that's something, and I did enjoy some parts of the story, such as the setting, the princesses and the battle for the throne...and anything involving Jane (it's really a shame she wasn't given a bigger part). Overall though, I'd have to recommend skipping this. It's just not much of a page-turner, and while Isabel started out with much promise, her character became so flawed that I could barely stand to read about her anymore.
June 3, 2012
I am a fan of historical fiction and when I saw FIGURES IN SILK in the bargain pile, I grabbed it. From the description on the back book cover, I thought I'd be enjoying the story about two sisters, but I was sorely disappointed. The book focuses mainly on Isabel who we first meet as a 14-year-old sheltered girl from a wealthy family and her fears about being forced into marriage with Thomas Claver. In the first scene she is praying/sobbing in church when she meets a "hard" stranger with a "wolfish" smile. She is instantly captivated by him and so begins her decade plus affair with Dickon (aka Richard, Duke of Gloucester). When she agrees to share a meal with him, it feels unbelievable that an innocent girl with no worldly experience would agree to do this.
Isabel goes on to marry Thomas Claver and her life is set on a path of silk merchants. There are some good parts in the book especially Isabel's determination to find her place in the Claver household when her husband is killed after only two weeks of marriage. I was rooting for her at this point in the book, but the endless descriptions of silks, fabrics and the intricacies of the silk trade were boring and I ended up skipping pages at a time.
The author clearly misses the mark in not focusing more on the sisterly relationship of Isabel and Jane. I actually thought Jane's story was quite interesting, but there were only snippets of how she became the mistress of King Edward, survived being arrested as a witch and imprisoned in Ludgate Prison. Even with this turn of events, Isabel remains enamored with Dickon/Richard and never once believes that he has done despicable things to become King. For such a smart business woman, Isabel can't seem to connect the dots.
Another point where the reader must suspend belief is throughout the book both sisters are having affairs for 10+ years, but neither one ends up having a child. That seemed totally unrealistic along with the scene involving the arrest and execution of Lord Hastings. For this one scene only Richard is portrayed as the "mad" king. It was totally out of character with how Richard had been portrayed throughout the story. The ending of the book seemed contrived and not satisfying at all. I didn't care what Isabel did. This book could have been a fresh take on Richard III's rise and fall during the War of the Roses, but it falls short on so many levels that I cannot recommend it.
Isabel goes on to marry Thomas Claver and her life is set on a path of silk merchants. There are some good parts in the book especially Isabel's determination to find her place in the Claver household when her husband is killed after only two weeks of marriage. I was rooting for her at this point in the book, but the endless descriptions of silks, fabrics and the intricacies of the silk trade were boring and I ended up skipping pages at a time.
The author clearly misses the mark in not focusing more on the sisterly relationship of Isabel and Jane. I actually thought Jane's story was quite interesting, but there were only snippets of how she became the mistress of King Edward, survived being arrested as a witch and imprisoned in Ludgate Prison. Even with this turn of events, Isabel remains enamored with Dickon/Richard and never once believes that he has done despicable things to become King. For such a smart business woman, Isabel can't seem to connect the dots.
Another point where the reader must suspend belief is throughout the book both sisters are having affairs for 10+ years, but neither one ends up having a child. That seemed totally unrealistic along with the scene involving the arrest and execution of Lord Hastings. For this one scene only Richard is portrayed as the "mad" king. It was totally out of character with how Richard had been portrayed throughout the story. The ending of the book seemed contrived and not satisfying at all. I didn't care what Isabel did. This book could have been a fresh take on Richard III's rise and fall during the War of the Roses, but it falls short on so many levels that I cannot recommend it.
January 18, 2019
This really felt like a slog for me... and while there were moments when I thought, "Hmm, I'm enjoying this more than I thought I was"... ultimately, I can't bring myself to give it more than an "okay" rating. The fact that it was mostly about a woman owning a silk business in medieval England, combined with it being over a 15-hour listen... it just lost my interest fairly quickly.
We meet Isabel Lambert, a silk merchant's daughter, and sister to Jane (later to be known as Jane Shore, King Edward IV's mistress). Isabel is being forced to marry against her wishes, and as she's lamenting her misfortune, she happens to meet a handsome, intriguing stranger - whom she later finds out is the king's brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. This sparks a friendship of sorts that will affect the rest of Isabel's life - especially after misfortune befalls her new family and she's forced to make her own way for herself.
Ultimately, this book focuses very much on silk production and trade in the late 1400s. Isabel marries into another silk family, and learns the ways of the silk business. A LOT of the story is made up of descriptions of silk and other details that just honestly bored me. The interesting bits were when Isabel would reconnect with Richard, and as we got to delve into the political and scandalous intrigues of Edward IV's court.
I don't think this author could decide whether or not she was a Ricardian. The first 75% or so of this novel was very much pro-Richard... but the end made him out to be something different. There is a little twist at the very end that makes us think he wasn't all bad, but still - there was some confusion in the way his character was written. Even if the author didn't intend for him to be evil, she certainly changed his character (motivations/attitude) a LOT throughout the course of the book. And the changes in his relationship with Isabel didn't seem very genuine to me.
In any case, where this book suffered the most was with the silk business focus. It could easily have been much shorter, and more focused on the relationships. The writing was good, and the narration (audiobook) was entertaining. I "liked" it, but definitely didn't love it. It took me a lot longer than it should have to finish - mainly because I just kept losing interest.
We meet Isabel Lambert, a silk merchant's daughter, and sister to Jane (later to be known as Jane Shore, King Edward IV's mistress). Isabel is being forced to marry against her wishes, and as she's lamenting her misfortune, she happens to meet a handsome, intriguing stranger - whom she later finds out is the king's brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. This sparks a friendship of sorts that will affect the rest of Isabel's life - especially after misfortune befalls her new family and she's forced to make her own way for herself.
Ultimately, this book focuses very much on silk production and trade in the late 1400s. Isabel marries into another silk family, and learns the ways of the silk business. A LOT of the story is made up of descriptions of silk and other details that just honestly bored me. The interesting bits were when Isabel would reconnect with Richard, and as we got to delve into the political and scandalous intrigues of Edward IV's court.
I don't think this author could decide whether or not she was a Ricardian. The first 75% or so of this novel was very much pro-Richard... but the end made him out to be something different. There is a little twist at the very end that makes us think he wasn't all bad, but still - there was some confusion in the way his character was written. Even if the author didn't intend for him to be evil, she certainly changed his character (motivations/attitude) a LOT throughout the course of the book. And the changes in his relationship with Isabel didn't seem very genuine to me.
In any case, where this book suffered the most was with the silk business focus. It could easily have been much shorter, and more focused on the relationships. The writing was good, and the narration (audiobook) was entertaining. I "liked" it, but definitely didn't love it. It took me a lot longer than it should have to finish - mainly because I just kept losing interest.
June 12, 2009
There really wasn't enough there there in any respect for me to get invested in the narrative or the characters of this novel: not enough historical detail to be persuasive, not enough character development for me to care about anyone, not enough life or color in the writing to make the 15th century silk industry (the story element which makes this novel different from others about the same period) as interesting as it should be to learn about. The central premise is promising: a young girl meets and falls in love with Richard of Gloucester without at first knowing who he is and before he becomes Richard III, and then must wrestle with the impact on their relationship when he does see the crown within reach and begins to show his true unscrupulous colors. But Bennett doesn't give enough time or energy to exploring that part of her story, and often seems more interested in telling you how many threads were in the warp and weft of a silk weaving loom. Maybe I've read too many books, or too many in this genre, but I was able to predict almost every plot development pages before it happened, and Bennett has a couple of persistent stylistic bad habits that drove me completely nuts. I'm sorry, sentences really do have to have a subject - I don't care how colloquial you're trying to sound; "Talking things over at the end of the day." - is not a sentence, and giving it a capital letter at the beginning and a period at the end doesn't make it one. She's apparently also unaware of the existence of the objective pronoun "whom", never mind when to employ it - I don't think it's used once when it's called for.
September 20, 2009
I had my doubts when I purchased this novel, having read some negative thoughts on it and having hated Anne Easter Smith's version of the War of the Roses. This suprised me, however, at almost every turn. Isabel and Jane are sisters who are married off to strangers while Edward is taking control of England's kingship. Isabel is widowed quickly and takes to her mother in law's silk business against her own father's wishes. Jane gets a divorce from her husband and becomes a harlot for the king and the king's men. While Isabel becomes a working woman and starts a lucrative silk industry right there at Westminster, Jane lives a frivolous life of luxury and sex. During all this, Isabel falls in love with Richard, whom she does not realize will one day be king. There are many surprising twists and turns and Isabel realizes that the man she loves is not so kind and wonderful after all as he fights "dirty" to attain the crown for himself. Can she continue to love and cherish a man that kills his best friend, imprisons her sister, disowns his own brothers, shames his mother, and plans to marry his own niece?
I would have preferred Jane to have more depth. I thought she was almost an irrelevant addition to the novel. On the other hand, Isabel is an unforgettable character. There were times in her moral struggles over Richard (Dickon, I should say) that I lost respect for her, but she gained it back in the end. The choices and dilemmas she faces are not easy to solve.
Little too much detail sometimes about materials and cloth. It is, however, a novel of the silk trade as well as war and love tho.
I would have preferred Jane to have more depth. I thought she was almost an irrelevant addition to the novel. On the other hand, Isabel is an unforgettable character. There were times in her moral struggles over Richard (Dickon, I should say) that I lost respect for her, but she gained it back in the end. The choices and dilemmas she faces are not easy to solve.
Little too much detail sometimes about materials and cloth. It is, however, a novel of the silk trade as well as war and love tho.
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